‘Serious games’ can be anything. They can be educational, tell experimental stories or evoke deep emotions. Although they are primarily defined by a purpose other than entertainment, their true purpose is to encourage a transformative moment – whether that be through teaching, or some form of emotional change. For game developer Chaos Theory Games from Sydney (KangaZoo, Blendy!, Samsung Galaxy ExplorAR), this transformation is what really defines the serious games industry.
“I definitely prefer the term ‘transformational games’ because I think it’s more descriptive of the kind of experiences we build,” Nico King, Executive Creative Director at Chaos Theory, told GamesHub about the team’s approach to serious games. ‘Serious games were invented a number of years ago… it’s self-sustaining. Not many people use the term ‘transformational games’, but hopefully we can change that.’
King believes that it is not just a simple language change, but also the way we talk about serious games can help to goal of this niche video game genre and help integrate with learning experiences. ‘Serious games’ can imply a lack of fun, or dense topics that lack broader appeal – but when we talk about transformationthe core of ‘serious games’ can be highlighted.
The value of transformational games
“If you use the term ‘serious games,’ it can exclude a lot of games that have real value and have a lot of transformational value,” King said. ‘[Transformational games] come in all shapes and sizes… they’re a storytelling medium that we can use to solve real-world problems.”
King was talking about MODIFY by developer Delve Interactive as a core example of games that fit outside the rigid boundaries of “serious games” that still encourage major, educational transformation.
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In MODIFY, you play a rogue-like point-and-click adventure that explores the challenges of being homeless on the city streets. While it contains elements of traditional gameplay, it is also designed to encourage empathy in players – a transformation of knowledge and emotions. King believes that this game doesn’t quite fit the “serious” label, but is built on the same values of the genre and can help players goal of these experiences.
Chaos Theory’s own games extend the traditional idea of what makes a game ‘Real’. While the company has worked closely with major organizations on projects designed to educate and educate — the Australian Government, UNSW, ABC, UTS, Telstra, Samsung, and eBay are among Chaos Theory’s clients — the developer is also working to transforming these experiences, and the stigma of the ‘serious’ label.
Finally, a lot games that contain fun, traditional gameplay fit seamlessly into the modern idea of serious games. Classic edutainment games like Freddi Fish, Spy Fox and Putt Putt for example, may be considered ‘serious’ – because while they to be designed to be fun adventures, they also provide transformative, educational opportunities. The line between what is a ‘traditional’ video game and what is a ‘serious’ game is quite thin – and Chaos Theory is trying to cross those boundaries with a variety of projects.
KangaZoo balances education with color and fun
One of these transformation projects is: KangaZoo, a title developed with PentaQuest, at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). In KangaZoo, you play as a ranger looking after Australia’s bushland. As you progress through the game, you will meet a variety of native animals and work to create a safer outdoor space for everyone.
The primary purpose of KangaZoo is to educate players about Australian wildlife and teach them about native diversity. To do this, it incorporates features of traditional games to create a fun, healthy experience – you can collect decorations in KangaZoo, and help raise a range of creatures, while learning fun facts about the environment.
To create the concept for KangaZooand to help elevate it as a teaching tool, Chaos Theory began with a firm letter from DFAT guiding the elements of the game.
“We like to look at “what’s the problem you’re trying to solve?” first, and really trying to understand what that problem is. [We] ask questions to make sure That is the correct problem that [the clients] are looking for a solution,” King said of the creation process.
“Often we collect information first to make sure we’re solving the right problem and to understand as much as possible about that problem. From there, we’ll look for a game design framework to solve that problem. That’s essentially looking for gameplay, or systems, or mechanics that are similar to the problem we’re trying to solve…then it’s usually quite similar to regular game development, where you build and test a lot.”
According to King, the focus of game development in transformational games is usually on a problem to be solved, or a way to engage people. “Fun” isn’t necessarily a priority, but according to King, it can be an extremely powerful tool for stimulating interest in new or confrontational topics.
‘Originally the purpose of [KangaZoo] was to get more people interested in studying ecology-related topics at Australian universities,” explains King. “The aim was to reach a global audience of people… to raise interest and awareness for the research being done in Australia, and Australian plant and animal life, and wildlife conservation.”
‘We worked with PentaQuest and [DFAT] to clarify what those goals were and make sure we focused on the right area. Then we came up with a game design framework to get around that, and chose an arcade adventure game for mobile devices… where you take on the role of a park ranger and explore different national parks in Australia… Through that process, you collect information about the world around you. , and collecting animal friends that you learn more information about, and then you release them back into the wild and restore the environment.”
Games like KangaZoo have great potential as transformational experiences, especially for the future of education. While video games will never replace traditional classroom learning, they have the potential to be robust educational tools that appeal to players at multiple levels.
Strict curriculum guidelines mean introducing games into the classroom isn’t easy, but King is certainly excited about the potential of transformational games to help teach young children more diverse skills and knowledge.
“As time goes by and the whole world has played and continues to play games, the perception of the role games have in our lives and what they can actually accomplish will change,” King said.
‘I think everyone can benefit from gamified learning… People learn best by playing. When children are very young, they learn by playing with each other, by developing social skills, by using their imaginations to make up games… Play is often used to explore, practice and test concepts from the real world. to day. I think that gives it value in the classroom.”
In addition to school, transformational games can also be used for teaching adults new skills, where gamification encourages memory retention and engagement with source material. Duolingo is the perfect example of a transformational game that works in practice – it teaches users a language using gamified mechanics and a reward system that encourages repeated engagement. It is also extremely popular and widely used all over the world.
Learning is not only for children – and many of Chaos Theory’s creations have worked to meet this holistic learning need.
In collaboration with the creators of the 2008 Stranded Az animated series, developed on the risks of climate change, Chaos Theory developed Bleached Aza mobile game that focused on the damaging impact of coral bleaching and climate change on the environment.
‘It’s a simple game, in the form of Fruit Ninja, where you protect three corals on the Great Barrier Reef,” King said. “They talk to each other and joke, and… [it’s] just a generally irreverent view of ocean conservation and the problems our oceans face. Very heavy on the comedy, and it’s fun to play…and has a lot of good, educational value, in terms of the topics discussed.’
In addition to fun gameplay, this transformative game also featured a tree-planting program tied to scores, and a leaderboard that told players exactly how much carbon dioxide they had personally removed from the atmosphere. To encourage the competitive spirit, Chaos Theory provided an engaging, gamified experience that changed the way people thought about the environment and their impact on the world.
But as King makes clear, this game doesn’t quite fit the traditional idea of ”serious” games – with ironic humor and a level of entertainment value that brings it more in line with mainstream video games. It transcends boundaries and shows how educational experiences can be embedded in mainstream video game tropes and gameplay.
The future of transformational games
Chaos Theory has a diverse portfolio of games, made for different purposes. Some of the games are designed to familiarize players with new topics or concepts that they might otherwise have avoided. Some games help players explore more of the world, or help relieve the pressures of modern life with relaxing, rewarding gameplay.
The Sydney studio has long been known for making ‘serious games’, but has outgrown this terminology, as has the entire ‘serious games’ industry. The core of this genre is Modify – education and transformation. Ironically, it also takes change to harness the power of transformational gamesand their importance in the game ecosystem.
Labeling this genre as “serious” has compartmentalized these educational experiences and created a clear division in the game industry, but transformational games are more powerful and pervasive than most people think.
They are currently being introduced to classrooms, university lecture halls and workplaces – they teach people new skills, knowledge and empathy. They have a deserved place in the future of education, and only through understanding can we appreciate their integration and value.
Transformational games, like the ones currently being made by Chaos Theory, have phenomenal potential – and we’re likely to see their rise in the coming decades as understanding of their purpose grows.
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